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Asharu
The House of Asharu, also known by their modern sobriquet Scourges, are former guardian angels who were banished into the Abyss. Many of the Asharu turned because of frustration reflected onto them by their human charges. Most Scourges served as spies or scouts in the Rebellion because of their speed and gained great respect for it. Still carrying their honored reputation, the Scourges continue to watch over the world, even as they seem to work toward destroying it. These former Angels of the Firmament were given the task of directing the winds and carrying the life-giving breath of God to those whom the Creator wished to save. Now these demons are the bearers of plague and pestilence, their passage swift and unseen but their punishments cruel and lingering. Depending on their whim, they can heal or poison with a touch. Scourges are drawn to those fearful souls who believe in perils that lurk just out of sight.Houses of the Fallen, p.6 History Purpose The Asharu were originally the Elohim that ruled over wind and movement, but also carried one special tool no other Elohim had: the Breath of Life. The Anshar made it so that everything in creation could work together and exist in harmony. Next, the Ellil mastered the element of air. Finally the Dagan were those who stir life itself. These powers gave the Asharu a strong affinity for life and allowed them to stand guard over it. Of all the Houses, the Asharu most represented stability, serenity, and peace. It was their connection to life that caused the Asharu to grow fondest of humanity of all the Elohim; after all, it was they who were responsible for allowing God's greatest creation to live. They loved humanity dearly, and watched Adam and Eve's every step and action carefully, lest any harm befall their charges. However, God's second command was hard to follow; the Asharu sadly and worriedly watched with every struggle and misstep their human charges made, and some became bitter that their hard work would never be realized by those they did it for. The Fall and The Curse When the Great Debate happened, a representative for Asharu was there, the Defender Lailah. She chose God over Lucifer's suggestions of rebellion, but many of the Asharu finally made the hard choice to defy the Creator and serve humanity. At the Fall, the Asharu were the sixth House to come before Adam and Eve; their representative Nazriel brought the two a feeling of calmness and serenity, to keep them from being overwhelmed by the gifts of the other Elohim. But the curse that followed was perhaps the most cruel of any given to the Fallen; humans were stripped of their immortality. Therefore, no matter how hard an Asharu worked to save someone they loved, eventually, that person would meet an end and fall under the sway of the Slayers. The Rebellion Many Asharu fell into despair after the fall, not so much for themselves as for their human charges. Many thought they were responsible for humanity's punishment and so became even more steadfast in their watch over Adam and Eve. Eventually, though, this vigilance caused many Scourges to begin to see the weaknesses in humanity more than the strengths. Some decided that humanity needed improvement to reach their true potential, and so joined the Ebon Legion, seeking to fight for mortals and earn their attention and love. Others chose the Crimson Legion, hoping to inspire humans into improvement instead of taking the work into their own hands. When the Legions began to split during the Time of Atrocities, the Asharu also fell prey to the pressure the other Houses began to face. Many of them became spies and messengers for their Legion, using their powers of wind to travel at tremendous speeds. However, they were among the Houses furthest removed from battles, preferring to stay in the back of the lines and heal others, or to inflict their pain and suffering from a distance. The splits grew, and some Asharu became outright resentful towards humans, preferring to spread pestilence and punishment on mortals instead of life and love, while others used humanity more subtlety, usually as pawns against the Elohim or other Fallen. A few, such as the Choir of Dagan still tried to carry on with the old ways of the Asharu by serving humanity as guardians, healers, and teachers. The Asharu never truly reunified, even when Lucifer managed to reunite the Legions for one final attempt at perfecting Creation. The Scourges went into the Abyss, both lamenting what they had done and bitter at what for many of them seemed to be a fate in which they had no fortune to begin with. Common Traits Faction Alignments Most Scourges are Reconcilers, wanting the world healed so they can once again watch over their charges among humanity. Faustian tends to naturally oppose the Scourges, countering their vows of protection by using their loved ones. Weakness Scourges don't sit on the fence when it comes to humans. Humans are either worthwhile or worthless; there is no in-between. As a result, a Scourge will treat all humans, including those who don't deserve it, as blameless beings worthy of salvation or horrific creatures who need to be eliminated. Background Information In ancient Babylonian mythology, Asharu was one of the many names given to Qingu after he is killed and his blood used to create man. References *DTF: Demon: The Fallen Rulebook, p. 24, 33, 38, 108-109 *DTF: Houses of the Fallen p. 37-45 es:Azotes (Asharu) Category:Houses (DTF) Category:Demon: The Fallen glossary